1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein generally relates to the field of door hardware and more specifically to mechanisms for preventing a door or equivalent closure from fully closing by mechanically maintaining at least a small gap along each lateral edge, thereby keeping the door slightly ajar. Described herein are a unique gap-retaining mechanism and its method of use.
Each year, tens of thousands of children in the United States receive serious injuries when closures accidentally engage their fingers. Sadly, an alarming number of these result in at least partial amputation. Described herein are a device and method of using the unique device embodying novel and non-obvious advancements to address this growing problem.
2. Description of Related Art
Various alternatives currently exist for maintaining a door or similar closures slightly open or ajar. Over the years a number of names for such anti-closure devices and their assigned functions with respect to doors, gates, windows, drawers and the like have entered the common lexicon. For example, a device for maintaining an open gap might be variously referred to as a check, stop, brace, spacer, hook, prop or simply a “hold-open”. These devices have been developed with a variety of objectives, among these are: avoiding unexpected closure injury to a small child or pet; keeping a closure from unwanted latching or locking; maintaining a closure in open or unlatched state for temporary periods for ventilation, passage or observation; maintaining a door or window to a baby's nursery or other important space slightly ajar for monitoring purposes. For simplicity and without intention to delimit the present invention, these and similarly purposed devices are herein referred to as door checks.
Over the years many door checks have been invented and commercialized for purposes such as just described, and many of those inventions have been patented. Examples of patent documents addressing the need for keeping a door ajar include the following. U.S. Pat. No. 6,550,828 to Warden shows door gap retention by way of clamps and inserted panels. U.S. Pat. No. 1,258,856 to Beaudette depicts a nursery door check that slows the door swing and subsequently permits closure with added pressure. U.S. Pat. No. 2,565,906 to Berthane demonstrates a device for retaining doors ajar. The Berthane device features a yoke configured to fit over the top of a door and a bumper that extends therefrom to engage the door's sill.
Comaianni's U.S. Pat. No. D346,109 illustrates a door spacer mechanism attached to a door frame and appears to present an arm in two positions: a first position where the arm is extending above a door; a second position where the arm extends downwardly apparently to check a door. Ferrante's U.S. Pat. No. 3,287,050 discloses an adjustable brace fixed to a door jamb and engaging a door edge to maintain the door in fully open position. Ferrante's brace swings clear to permit closure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,474 granted to Kjellstrom prevents door crushing injuries by providing a check device in the form of a spring biased blocking component attached to a door and articulated to engage the door case to prevent the door's closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,587 to Urschel et al. describes a device for temporarily preventing a door closure upon its first opening; but, upon the door's reopening, the device permits closure. This device is fairly complex in its number of parts. U.S. Pat. No. 900,621 to Voight shows a mechanism mounted on the upper portion of a door casing and extending to engage the top of a swinging door. Voight's invention is for holding the door slightly ajar to indicate that a room currently is unoccupied. To disengage the mechanism so that passage is permitted, the door is further opened for passage and then may be fully closed. The Voight arrangement is for indicating room availability and without regard to safety, ventilation and the like.
Weinberger's U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,483 includes a door holding yoke that extends to, and embraces, a portion of the door frame or directly interconnecting to a frame-mounted rail with an engagement bead. U.S. Pat. No. D347,570 was issued to Burge for a resilient door stop element that fits about a door edge to prevent door movement. Donovan's U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,685 discloses a sliding leg mounted on a door and arranged to abut a door jamb to keep the door ajar. McLean's U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,140 Features a checking element that falls into door-blocking position when the door is opened.
The record will show that each of the aforementioned patent documents in its entirety was incorporated by reference in the above noted Provisional Patent Application. Upon close review of the patents discussed hereabove, it is apparent that they address similar objectives, but do so through a variety of mechanical constructs substantially different from the present invention. Moreover, none offers the unique configuration and distinct functional advantages afforded by the present invention described and claimed as follows.